For the first time, a patient in the UK has been fitted with an early warning sensor that can alert doctors of an imminent heart attack.
The sensor, the size of a pen lid, was fitted into a patient at the University Hospital Southampton (UHS), that can give clinicians an early warning if their condition deteriorates.
The procedure is part of a cutting-edge international research study which intends to prove this new way of monitoring and treating heart failure patients is safe and effective.
The unique technology, known as the FIRE1 System, is designed to monitor the amount of fluid in the body where elevated levels can indicate worsening heart failure.
The device is implanted into the inferior vena cava (IVC) – the body’s largest vein, located in the abdomen which carries oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart.
It works by continuously measuring the size of the IVC giving a marker of the amount of fluid in the body.
High levels can increase the risk of breathing difficulties and a build-up of fluid in the lungs which can lead to an emergency hospital admission.
The device is implanted during a simple 45-minute procedure using a small catheter which is placed in a vein at the top of the leg. It is collapsed on entry so it can be pushed up into the IVC where it expands to its full size.
After surgery patients are provided with an external detection belt worn across the abdomen for one to two minutes a day which powers the implanted sensor using radiofrequency energy.
Data is sent from a patient’s home to the heart failure team at UHS daily with the aim of alerting the team to early warning signs so they can intervene before their condition worsens significantly.
‘Earlier intervention when patients start to deteriorate can make a huge difference and the hope is that this new FIRE1 device will do just that,’ said Dr Andrew Flett, the cardio surgeon who fitted the sensor into the patient.
Heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump blood around the body efficiently, causing fluid to build up. Around 700 patients are admitted to UHS with the condition every year.
Common causes include high blood pressure which puts strain on the heart, cardiomyopathy, which is a disease of the heart muscle, and long-term damage as a result of a heart attack.
Symptoms include shortness of breath, a persistent cough, swollen feet and ankles and fatigue. Patients may also feel light-headed, the heart may race quickly and they can occasionally faint.
It is estimated that more than 900,000 people in the UK are living with heart failure and this number is likely to rise due to an ageing population, more effective treatments and improved survival rates after a heart attack.
Heart failure admissions to hospital costs the NHS £2 billion per year and methods to reduce this are a key focus for researchers and doctors.
‘We have now successfully implanted a second patient with the device and data is already being transmitted which we look forward to receiving so that we can intervene earlier in a bid to reduce hospital visits and keep patients well for longer,’ said Dr Flett.
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